Because of social distancing, spending time outdoors has become challenging. But thare are still an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful nature even if the situation requires people to stay inside. How is this possible? The following national parks are currently offering virtual tours through Google Arts & Culture. Check them out!

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

This virtual tour lets people explore glaciers, icebergs, and fjords located in the Alaskan wilderness. Kenai Fjords has more than 40 glaciers in the Harding Icefield, according to the National Park Service website, and the tour begins with a peek into the Exit Glacier, which is one of the only accessible glaciers by road within the national park.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

This virtual tour enables people to explore the Nahuku Lava Tube. It is a cave formed by flowing lava. During the tour, everyone can “fly” over an active volcano, enjoy the stunning view from the volcanic coastal cliffs, and see the effects of an eruption from 1959.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

This popular park has over 100 caves and is located in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. On this tour, people can view incredible rock formations, take a walk through the fascinating caverns, and even see thousands of bats who live in the cave system. There is also an opportunity to “experience” life as a bat thanks to this impressive simulation.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

This virtual tour centered on Sunset Point enables everyone to get up close and personal with the park’s unique rock formations, enjoy the star-filled night sky from this Dark Sky certified national park, and even take a horseback ride through the canyon from the comfort of their own home.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

According to the National Park Service website, this park is located 70 miles west of Key West. Thanks to this virtual tour, people no longer have to book a seaplane or boat to get there. They can view the third largest coral reef in the world, check out the Civil War-era Fort Jefferson, swim, and even take an exploratory dive into a shipwreck from 1907.

Articles of homes being sold for just €1 (roughly $1.20) in Italy are all over the Internet, but isn’t this just too good to be true? Not according to Rubia Daniels from California, who bought her first house in Mussomeli, Sicily, in spring 2019. Her experience went so smoothly that she ended up purchasing two more houses.

Living in Italy Is the Perfect Retirement Plan

Daniels knows Europe pretty well as she used to travel to different countries about three times a year. However, she’s never been to Sicily before, now she’s planning to retire there, and she’s not by herself.

After the initial purchase, she went for the second time to Italy to start renovations, and she traveled alongside her husband and brother-in-law. She then made a third visit, and she brought along a group of family and friends, some of which also purchased houses for themselves, and everyone had a different experience.

Each Town Has Different Rules on the €1 Houses

Besides the obvious taxes and fees that need to be paid in addition, each city in Italy has different rules on processing the €1-house sales. Some require a deposit system with the buyer’s plan on renovation, a certain number of lawyers and architects (that also need to be paid), some sales are auctions starting at €1.

It’s also a common practice for the cities to set a deadline for the competition of all renovations that buyers have to consider if they want to avoid penalties. Speaking of renovations, Italy allows investors to do whatever they want with the interior as long as they keep the facade as it originally was.

As a proud 3-house owner in Italy, here’s what Daniels recommends to future buyers:

1. Don’t buy remotely and always visit before depositing.
2. Don’t skimp on time, you’ll need at least a week if not more.
3. Don’t fall for just 1 property, do some research and target a few to choose from.
4. Keep in mind that renovations may go up to €20,000 (roughly $24.6K).
5. Try to integrate as much as you can with every visit.

Investing in a €1-Italy house comes with a lot of responsibilities, and the final investment can surpass $24,000. Daniels asks everyone to be realistic about such an investment and think of it as long-distance moving – not just to another state but Italy, and still keeping your budget fairly low.